The transformative-pragmatic paradigm as applied in this paper has as one of its principles an emphasis on partnerships between researchers and participants, with the understanding that participants are themselves co-researchers who shape the research process. This paper elaborates on this starting point and indicates how in a particular research project undertaken in South Africa to examine the implementation of inclusive education, the initiating researchers (Nel, Romm, and Tlale) conducted focus groups with the intention of encouraging collaboration of various kinds. Collaboration as a way of thinking and organising is particularly important in the field of inclusive education. This paper shows how we, with teacher participants or co-researchers, set up collaborative processes at various levels, including: · between researchers and teacher-participants (co-researchers), · between teachers as part of institutional level support teams in schools, · between teachers, the district support team and others in the Department of Education.